Known height adjustable stands for electronic displays typically come in two varieties. The first requires the user to supply all the force necessary to adjust the height of the stand (i.e., the stands of this type are not counterbalanced). Generally, these stands provide some type of clamping device directly behind the display. Since the clamp is in an area that is hard to reach, users do not generally adjust the height of the stand to position the display at its best ergonomic position. Instead, they pick a height when initially setting up the system and do not adjust the height thereafter because of the difficulty in reaching the clamp.
Height adjustable stands of the other common type provide counterbalancing forces to help the user lift and hold the weight of the display. These types of stands are popular for holding heavy displays (e.g., displays weighing more than about 3 kilograms) and/or multiple displays. Generally, the display is held in position wherever the user sets it, without the user having to unlock clamps or engage pin locks. Although counterbalanced stands are desirable for these heavier displays, they are actually disadvantageous when holding light displays, such as those weighing less than about 3 kilograms.
For light displays, the weight of the display can be about the same as the amount of friction inherent in a counterbalancing mechanism. In such circumstances, the counterbalancing mechanism will not hold the display position because there is essentially no weight to counterbalance. Accordingly, the height of the display will tend to creep up to the maximum height allowed by the stand because of the forces from the counterbalancing mechanism acting upon it. Another problem with using counterbalancing mechanisms for extremely light displays is that when a user attempts to adjust the height of the display in an upward direction, the entire stand lifts off the support surface rather than acting against the counterbalancing mechanism. This happens because the friction within the counterbalancing system is nearly equal to the weight of the display. These problems are likely to only get worse as display technology advances and ever lighter displays are commercialized and adopted.